Communication systems use different addressing schemes to identify end point devices in a network. Such end point devices may include two-way radios and mobile telephones, as well as tablet, laptop, and desktop computers. Intermediate devices that are located between end point devices may route data messages to the end point devices based on end point device addresses. In some communication systems, the address for each end point device may be 32 bits or 24 bits long. Further, in these communication systems, the bandwidth or data rate available for data communication may be limited (e.g. 12 kbps/s or lower). Thus, these communication systems may use a short addressing scheme to reduce the signaling overhead for data transmission and to increase data throughput. That is, a temporary short address (e.g. 10 bits long or less) may be assigned to an end point device by an intermediate device. Further, an intermediate device manages the assignment of the temporary short address. However, there is a challenge in the current state of the art to manage the assignment and then the release of the short addresses assigned to end point devices. Such challenges include the intermediate device having a timer that is too long to release the assignment of the short address thereby reducing the number of available short addresses to be assigned to other end point devices. Another challenge is that the timer of the intermediate device is too short in releasing the assignment of the short address thereby wasting bandwidth by having end point devices requesting for short addresses too often. A further challenge may be the timer of the intermediate device and the timer of the end point device are not synchronized. Consequently, the timer of the intermediate device may be shorter than the timer of one end point device such that two end point devices may be assigned the same short address by the intermediate device thereby interfering each other when transmitting data messages to the intermediate device.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems, devices, and methods for improving data capacity in a communication system by managing short addresses.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.